Tag: marathon

The Metro PCS Dallas Marathon, which has long drawn runners from across the state, will face competition on race day in 2013.

The San Antonio Marathon, part of the popular Rock ’n‘ Roll series of 32 races, recently moved its date from Nov. 17 to Dec. 8 in direct conflict with the Dallas race.

Competitor Group, which owns and operates the series, proceeded with the date change despite a contract with Dallas expressly forbidding the group from doing so.

The move has stunned Dallas race organizers and disappointed runners who have participated in both events in the same marathon season.

I ran Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio (RnRSA) half in 2011. It turned out to be a brutal day — beating sun, high humidity, and no wind. The conditions were so taxing on athletes that they drained the water stops of all their fuel. Halfway through the race, even though I was on a PR pace, I basically quit and ran/walked to the end. My promise to my family to always take care of myself took precedence.

It may sound dramatic, but I was lucky to survive that day. As I approached the finish line, I was overcome by a swarm of emergency personnel. They were rushing to assist Jorge Fernandez, the runner who collapsed past the finish line and subsequently died. My first guess as to the cause was heat stroke, which was later verified. My second guess is that I’d never run the race again unless the date shifted.

From what I read, 2012 was just as steamy. Although there is a non-complete contract in place, RnRSA did right by their runners by moving the race to cooler December. You might think their parent company Competitor is solely focused on profits, but you will find it hard to persuade me that their participants’ health isn’t also a top concern.

Update 2013/01/24: as just as quickly as I post this, Competitor caved and reset the date for their race — which now conflicts with another of their events.

Proto-clydesdales like myself have a hate-meh relationship with the Boston Athletic Association, which puts on the annual Boston Marathon. It’s been a contributor to a polarization within the running community, a division between elites and turbo-stragglers. The former — runners fast enough to actually qualify for Boston — think that the latter — turbo-stragglers, average people like myself who can complete a marathon but commit the sin of taking twice as long — are ruining marathons for the rest of them. Specifically for the Boston Marathon, I’ve heard several stories of the “real” runners bitching about entries being taken up by charity entrants, people who earned a spot at the start line through fundraising. And the focus that BAA does on the elites allies them against the charity runners.

Despite the above, the BAA did a good thing today by warning runners to expect extraordinary heat at Monday’s race. They deserve kudos for not only getting the word out early, but also applying this warning across all classes:

We are now making the recommendation that if you are not highly fit or if you have any underlying medical conditions (for example-cardiac disease, pulmonary disease or any of a number of medical problems), you should NOT run this race.

Inexperienced marathoners should not run.

Those who have only trained in a cooler climate and who may not be acclimated (for at least the last 10 days) to warm weather running conditions should also consider not running.

For those very fit athletes who decide to run, you should take significant precautions:

Run at a slower pace and maintain hydration.

You should frequently take breaks by walking instead of running.

This will not be a day to run a personal best. If you choose to run, run safely above all else. Speed can kill.

Even the fittest athletes, that take precautions can still suffer serious heat illness. Recognizing symptoms of heat illness in yourself and others is critical , this may include headaches, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, nausea and vomiting. If you experience any of these, stop running immediately and if symptoms persist seek medical attention.

In three of the past four long-distance races I’ve done (half-marathon or greater), it’s been scorching hot and/or humid. And in those four races, three people died, two of which can be described as something more than weekend warriors. Such experiences are not limited just to me — I’ve heard of similar tragedies at other races such as Chicago (twice in recent memory).

In addition to the above warning, the finish line will stay open later in anticipation of runners who slowed down. Also, a deferment policy was put into place, allowing this year’s entrants to skip the 2012 race and instead run 2013 without having to re-qualify.

For me, this goes a long way towards regaining my respect for the BAA and the Boston Marathon. I hope that other races learn from this example and institutes such changes.

While such a move will surely please out-of-towners (as it provides start/finish proximity to hotels), this in-tower thinks it sucks. And apparently amongst my local running tribe, this is a singular opinion. Everyone I know (except one person) is praising the move on Facebook, but I’m not sure what they are seeing.

So I’m motivated to explain my negative reaction and see if anyone can convince me it’s a good move on the part of the DWRM organizers. I may be demanding too much, but I’ve participated in different races (including local ones) that had better organization, at least in the past.

I found interesting that the start/finish was once at Dallas City Hall, which is just a stone’s throw away from where it will be this year. I did run the Rock ‘n’ Roll Dallas Half-Marathon its first year, which had a City Hall start. For that race, we had to park at Fair Park & take buses to downtown Dallas (shuttles are a great way to harsh early morning race ‘mellow). But shuttles were required for that event the finish line was back at Fair Park; this year’s DWRM is different because both the start/finish are the same place.

I’ve only ever run DWRM when the start/finish was The American Airlines Center or Fair Park, and between the two I found Fair Park to be the far better location.

During the three years I ran at American Airlines Center, I found navigating the highways/roads to the AAC to be difficult and the parking situation to be painful. Back then, they charged $10 for parking, and you had to arrive butt-ass early to get favorable spots. And when you ran, you had to navigate two rough patches of pavement early in the race: the brick-lined streets of the West End (where an errant brick was enough to send people tripping) and the over-crowned, pothole-lined Ross Street west of the Dallas Museum of Art.

And in recent years when I’ve run the half marathon, we had an entirely different finish line than the full marathon, thanks to the fact our final miles were along the Katy Trail. Taking hundreds of runners accustomed to spreading out wide on a city street, then funneling them through a bottleneck like the Katy Trail, and dodging pedestrians & pets along the way, was a classic course planning mistake. During that year’s edition, my time slowed down in the last few miles because of the artificial crowd I had to plow through.

When the switch to Fair Park was announced, I was immediately excited.

I immediately had visions of ample, free parking…an easy commute that didn’t involve navigating closed-off downtown streets…running past the Cotton Bowl, art deco buildings, and the Espalande…multiple DART stations, should I choose to take public transportation.

And the way the full and half courses merged immediately before the finish line was exciting…I still remember how I was able to run with the Kenyans because my half time lined up exactly with their full time, and the fact our courses merged when they did. It will be the only time I could possibly keep up with them!

The Automotive Building was a great finishing chute — immediately after crossing the finish line, you could scamper into the building while barely getting chilled. At the AAC, you would have to find one of four sets of open doors which were a hike-through-the-crowd away from the finish line. I doubt the Omni will be opening up their doors for post-race recovery; that function will likely fall onto the Dallas Convention Center.

Fair Park had its issues, don’t get me wrong. In Year One, I had several friends who were caught in the paralyzing traffic snarl between IH45 and IH30, causing them to miss the race start. Luckily,this didn’t affect me, as a lifetime of Texas State Fair visits has taught me to always approach Fair Park via Munger St. instead of 2nd Ave. exit on I30. Also, in my first experience on a relay team this year, I found that the slog which was my walk between shuttle stop and my car was excruciating — I blame this more on last year’s epic freezing rain than the distance. I gave the race a pass: it was just the second year at Fair Park, it was improved from the previous year (better bathrooms, bag drop-off, starting chutes), so there was room for improvement next year.

Now we are switching locations yet again, so be fully prepared for a new round of Year One cluster-fucks this time around.

The bigger issues with the DWRM go beyond the start/finish line.

I’ve always found it criminal that the half-marathon course never approaches White Rock Lake. When the Fair Park start was announced, I had high hopes that this wrong would be righted. In fact, I registered for that year’s race before the new course was determined. Alas, my dreams were crushed: not only did we still avoid the lake like a plague, we also no longer ran down beautiful, wide Swiss Avenue. It was like paying a runner’s penance.

I’ve also been frustrated by DWRM’s social media efforts. Two years ago, during the first Fair Park year, people were anxious about the lack of a published course map until just weeks before the race. Instead of communicating with runners & soothing their anxiety & concerns, their response was to keep posting their copy points. I vividly remember their FB wall being shellacked with negative buzz which they ignored. This was not an effective way to run a social media campaign.

I hate being so negative, but these have been my experiences at the DWRM. Other races I’ve run (Twin Cities, RnR Dallas, RnR SA, Austin, and DRC Half) have been pleasant & well-planned experiences. There is some grumbling about how DWRM doesn’t get the world-class rep it thinks it deserves, that the business community is never fully behind it — perhaps addressing some of the above complaints might help.

I turned left onto the Katy Trail. Mile 10 out of 13.1. I didn’t need my Garmin to tell me I was running a tad bit behind, less of the pace than my expectations. Even so, I was close enough to my goal that this 2009 White Rock Half-Marathon was under my control.

I transitioned from pavement to the crumb rubber track, then I felt a twinge in my hamstring. That fucking left hamstring! I told that gimpy muscle in no uncertain terms that it wasn’t invited today. Yet here it was, crashing my party. I breathed deep and closed my eyes. Forefinger pinched to thumbs, as if I were about to meditate. Taking a moment to find my center, I re-focused on the road ahead. Go away, I repeated in my mind, go away.

The tightness faded. All that lie between mile 10 and glory was a simple 5K.

Last year before the 2008 full marathon, I was nervous. Despite all of my training, proper nutrition, a string of kick-ass long runs the weeks before, and the support of countless teammates, I was nervous. And that black energy accompanied me along the course and led to bad things: dropping Gu packs, becoming overheated, losing my focus and obsessing on the ghosts of failed races past. It’d been months since I had a good race, and I couldn’t stop thinking it would be even longer as the day wore on.

For six miles, between the 13.1 mark and the beginning of the “Dolly Partons”, those twin hills of no return, a hot southern wind beat into my face. I could feel sweat just linger on my skin, unable to evaporate in the high humidity. After I summited within the Lakewood neighborhood, I felt relieved and thought the worst was over. Then my legs locked up, slamming like switchblades into stiff, unyielding trunks that refuse to bend. Unable to break my body’s siege on itself, I limped to the end, barely beatingmy worst marathon time ever.

Adding insult to injury was my deflated pride: I was a coach of the Luke’s Locker Yellow Group, with a dozen marathons and half-marathons under my belt. My athletes dominated the day, and I brought in the rear. In fact, I crossed the finish line so late that none of my teammates was still around. Only my poor, very pregnant wife was there to witness me in one of my worst moments. Even though she was there, I felt alone and wanted to crawl under a rock.

I ended up being seriously hurt because of the heat and subsequent cramping. I was forced to skip the Yellow Group’s team celebration that night. Even if my legs worked, I was too much of a basket case to be around people. Several days would pass before I didn’t feel like crying. Non-runners may be hard-pressed to understand how emotional the marathon experience can be. To have invested twenty-six weeks of workouts and still fall short of your goals is nothing short of devastating, even if in the long run it’s just a blip in the path to greater glory.

The Katy Trail began to narrow, and as a result it turned into an obstacle course. Although I was still running, I was darting about a sea of those who had checked out. Walkers, standers, local joggers illegally on the course and running the wrong way.

I had dialed it back slightly, in a effort to ward off my hamstring. Yet in the previous six miles, you could have set your watch to my pace, as consistent as it was. I thought back to the Matilda hill, where for one ascending mile I got faster! I recalled my start, which was the most-relaxed I had felt coming into any race. And then there was Turtle Creek, where I hit a gear so smooth that I didn’t feel like I was running — I was flying.

In other words, this race was in the bag.

Two nights after the 2008 marathon was the Luke’s Locker group celebration. By that point, I had gotten my shit together and needed to be around runners once again. All of my athletes were there and we swapped tales of war from the previous Sunday. I told them my story, and more than one person confided that they could very much relate. Every runner has their days, they said. And I thought, why is it mine are always on race Sundays?

Before the night was done, our head coach Patton addressed the crowd. It’s been over a year, so I don’t remember his exact words. But I do recall Patton doing what he does best: emphasizing our collective accomplishments and inspiring us to run farther & faster. The list of what runners had achieved that season was seemingly limitless: first marathons, personal records, world travel, and endless self-esteem. Everyone of us had proven that nothing was impossible without effort and belief, Patton said.

Those who know me best know that strong effort is second-nature to me. It was the belief portion was still in the toilet.

Without glasses, I am blind as a bat, so I had trouble seeing the finish line ahead. But I knew it was getting close as the crowd grew thicker, louder, and intense.

The Katy Trail left the buildings of Uptown and now the sky was wide open. The American Airlines Center, standing at the final mile, was straight ahead. I let out a sharp laugh. Then suddenly I wanted to cry. After over a year of frustration, a good race was now under my belt. No matter what happened at the DRC Half in November, the Tour des Fleurs in September, or last year’s 2008 White Rock Marathon, I had a good race. How good was about to be determined.

I was running somewhat crocodile, so I corrected my posture and prepared to cross the finish line strong. I burst across the timing mat in a flash, shut down my Garmin, and came to a screeching halt. I probably shouldn’t have done that, as I became light-headed. Cutting through the crowd, I frantically begged a spectator standing on a short wall to make way for me. I sat and held my head in my hands, reminding myself to breathe. I caught a glimpse of my pink wristband emblazoned with the words “TEAM ANGIE”.

Angie was one of my teammates, but she wasn’t racing today. She was at home, recovering from surgeries and preparing for a round of chemotheraphy, all being done to ward off the breast cancer she was diagnosed with mid-season. She was the only woman I knew firsthand having to deal with this, and it wasn’t fair. But I had told myself before the race that I had to finish strong to honor her experience. She likely didn’t care one way or the other, but it was important inspiration for me.

The dizziness passed, and I eventually got up to fetch my finisher’s shirt and medal.

Remembering that some of my teammates had expected paces that fell close to mine, I kept an eye out for others. The first I bumped into was Mary, who was right behind me at the finish. She was tired, but also a beaming beauty bursting with confidence and pride. It turned out that she had just completed a PR. I felt like a proud father, having been her coach.

Mary asked me how I did, and I was surprised to realize I hadn’t looked! I peeked at my Garmin and smiled.

Patton was done with his speech, and the celebration was beginning to wrap up. Before I could walk out the door, Pepsi, one of my Yellow Group teammates, said to wait. She disappeared for a moment, then returned to present me with two gifts from everyone in the Yellow Group.The first gift was a gift certificate for a well-deserved sports massage. Very practical and very welcome!

The second was a bottle of wine. Pepsi excitedly explained how it was a custom label, and that everyone in the Yellow Group had signed it. The label read:

Thank you for inspiring & leading us through this journey to the finish line!
Luke’s Yellow Group
White Rock Marathon 2008

I read the message, then started to catalog the names. As my mental list of signatures increased in length, I began to well up. The emotions of Sunday were just below the surface, and while I had been throwing quite the pity party the past two days, now I was overwhelming happy and inspired. Knowing that my teammates cared so much about me as a coach and friend was the perfect way to remind me that the journey was more important than the destination. Instantly, I stopped feeling sorry for myself.

I then resolved to leave behind 2008 and make the 2009 racing season my personal best. As an incentive, I told myself that this bottle of wine would remain corked until I followed through on that resolution.

That night after my best race ever, I shared a pasta dinner with my wife Jenn and baby boy Zachary. The little man had just gotten the hang of eating the stuff a few days earlier, and every so often he enjoyed painting his face — and the walls — with tomato sauce.

Before we dug in, I reached into the wine rack and retrieved a certain bottle of red. For months, it had sat there, patiently awaiting its destiny. Before opening the flask, I examined those signatures one last time. I thought about each of my 2008 Yellow Group teammates and how fortunate I was to have shared the trails with them. Many of them had returned this year to build upon their previous successes. Some weren’t there, whether it be due to sickness or injury, and I paused to wish them good health going into the new year, especially Angie.

The time for reflecting on the past was done. It was time to celebrate this day. And the time for opening this bottle of wine had come.

I popped the cork, filled our goblets, and joined my family at the table. Jenn sipped and exclaimed, “That’s good!” It is good, I thought.